Ejuice taste and steeping are personal choices or preferences. One ejuice flavor might be the favorite of one or few vapers, but not everyone. In the same manner, not all vapers want or need to steep their ejuices.

Steeping is a term that refers to the act of soaking in liquid so as to extract or to cleanse and soften an element. With ejuice steeping, you are basically extracting more flavors from the eliquid and making the ejuice taste better. Steeping ejuice is like aging wine.

Additional Flavors and Storage

Steeping improves not just the ejuice flavor, but also the throat hit. Some say that steeping is ideal for tobacco-flavored ejuices. Flavor dopes not simply depend on the number of drops or percentage of flavoring added to the eliquid.

Storage is also important in ejuice taste. It helps keep the eliquid in good condition. It is recommended that an ejuice is kept in a dark and dry place; away from direct sunlight and at an average room temperature.

Some suggest that eliquids are kept in the basement or cellar temperatures. Tobacco flavors can become richer, darker more intense in taste over time when it is stored under the ground. Some also say that the taste will become better when stored in slightly cooler temperatures.

Steeping

When an ejuice is freshly made, the complex flavors are not yet apparent. This is when some people recommend that the freshly made juice is steeped in order to allow the other flavors to develop.

If the ejuice that has just been delivered to your doorstep seems to lack in flavors that you prefer, give it time to age and to steep and you might end up liking the flavor. Thus, you would not need to swap or to throw it away.

There are various methods of steeping that vaping aficionados have championed. Which method a vaper users will also depend on the personal choice or preference of that vaper.

A simple method involves giving it a simple bottle shake before it is used. Giving the ejuice bottle a shake, the ingredients are evenly distributed in the eliquid and automatically steep it.

There are also some vapers who say that the eliquid should simply be left inside a cool dark place for a few weeks. Some recommend that ejuice bottles are shaken everyday while allowed to stay in the dark and cool place. Shaking allows the heavier particles that have fallen on the bottom of the bottle to be mixed with the other ingredients again. Shaking and swirling will help loosen the steeped particles to create a stronger and more even flavor. Another method of steeping is leaving off the lid of the ejuice bottle.

There are definitely more methods that other vapers use in aging their ejuices. It all depends on the type of ejuice that vapers prefer to use. Steeping is giving sufficient time for the ejuice flavorings and other ingredients to be absorbed completely into the carrier of VG, PG or both.

The lid off is the most popular method as oxidation that appears to hasten the process. You could have some experiments by taking off the lid for a few weeks at room temperature could help get the desired results.

An Apple shisha, for example, can taste quite differently when it is steeped. It becomes a flavor that tastes more of aniseed and mint making it closer to the shisha flavor instead of just the tart aniseed, caramel like flavor when the ejuice is fresh from the bottle. It will also become darker in color rather than a cloudy light tan in flavor.

For eliquids that are heavy in VG, you first need to boil some water and then placing it in a bowl. Allow the water to cool for several minutes. Place the fresh bottle of eliquid in the bowl. Leave the bottle surrounded with water at room temperature. Place this bottle in the dark and somewhere that is cool for up to 6 days. The flavor will become generally deeper and more rounded.

Linc Williams was present at The Vapor Gypsy in Houston recently where he discussed about the proposed regulations, industry standard set and cautionary advice for the ecig industry. When news about Williams’ presence in Houston emerged, vaping readers were reminded about his directed documentary ‘We Are Vapers’.

According to him, he would never say that something is safe. There are always risks such as in drinking Coke and even Diet Coke, but electronic cigarettes are in the order magnitudes of being safer than traditional cigarettes. He added that there are some who believe in a policy that promotes only abstinence and treats anything resembling smoking as bad.

‘We Are Vapers’ Documentary

Williams is also known as Baldgroove in the community of vaping. It was more than two years ago when he announced about the full length documentary film with an Indiegogo crowd funding campaign.

It was January 2, 2012 when the crowd fund started and it ended March 31 of the same year. The hopeful and excited vapers contributed what they can and helped the campaign to raise $21,985 from 102 funders. This is just one proof that despite the differences within the vaping community, vapers could come together in achieving a common cause.

However, more than two years after the funds were raised; anticipation and excitement have all gone away, but the documentary film is still nowhere to be watched. No one is talking about it the way films were talked about in Film Festivals. The website wearevapers.com has been suspended and is no longer online. It is just too hard to believe and to accept that such a feature documentary film will take over 2 years to complete.

Everyone, especially the funders, probably believed they were conned. There was no community buzz about the documentary; yet, Linc was still active in the community. He became involved with more important matters such as causes that will help fight for the right to vape.

He assumed the position as Board Secretary of the board of directors and Consumer Advocate member for AEMSA or American E-liquid Manufacturing Standards Association.

He has also attended various Listening sessions with and in front of FDA. It was the busy and tough schedule of Linc and the lack of any news about We Are Vapers that caused many to have lost interest and hope for the film.

Update From Linc

Going back to the Indiegogo campaign website for this documentary, you would discover that Linc had posted an update some 6 months ago on January 25, 2014.

Linc thanked everyone who extended help and support for the project. He explained that the process of making the film was challenging, but great. His update stated that Lin has reviewed all 400 hours of footages originally shot.

These include vapers’ stories as well as awesome interviews with scientists and doctors. The documentary’s original intent was to tell the stories of vapers to the whole world. Searching the internet and watching YouTube will provide with all of these stories. This created tension and other compelling threads, Linc said.

He then decided to add certain elements to the movie. He is now working on the addition of a footage that will tell about the American story; of how the industry has transformed people’s lives not just through quitting smoking, but also by giving and providing jobs. To add the tension element, Linc said they will film the reactions of different vendors and people on the imminent regulations.

The project is obviously still in the works. While updates are rather few, some believe that they are still good signs that the documentary is progressing. Linc’s participation in various meets and advocacy activities makes many people to believe that Linc could actually create a film that will satisfy the hoping vapers.

There are some things in life and happenings in our world that are simply ironic. The latest satiric event is when the FDA released its ecigarette proposal to treat electronic cigarettes as tobacco products even though they are not really tobacco.

Proposed Regulations

According to Jacob Sullum, it initially appears that the FDA’s proposed rule is lighter and more accommodating that its attempt in 2009 to ban ecigs because they are unregulated drug device combination devices. This attempt was blocked by the court.

This time, however, the FDA wants ecigarettes to be categorized as tobacco products although they contain no tobacco. The only trace of tobacco in ecigs is the nicotine added to the eliquids that the devices turn to vapor. Nicotine is commonly sourced from tobacco so it is supposed that ecigs should be classified as tobacco.

If the same logic would be used, NRTs like patches, gums and lozenges should also be treated as tobacco. As tobacco, ecigs have much better chances to stay in the market since the FDA seems not interested in banning the far more dangerous conventional cigarettes.

FDA Authority

The federal agency’s authority over tobacco was given to it by the 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act that also grandfathered familiar cigarette brands.

The FDA said that ecigs are also included under its oversight as long as the products were on the market as of February 15^th of 2007. The grandfather clause does not really cover much since ecigs are relatively young.

Surviving The Test

Ecig companies that did not exist in early 2007 could get FDA permission to continue selling their products be just demonstrating that products are considerably equivalent to the early ecig models. They need to meet the test in order to be permitted.

Chip Paul, who founded Palm Beach Vapors in Oklahoma, was asked by Sullum regarding this. Paul replied optimistically that he thinks that everybody will be able to argue and that they are only improving the technology present in 2007. From disposable models, there are now refillable tanks; but the technology essentially stays the same. He added that the products today are not substantially different from the products in 2007. He concluded that everybody in the business these days would be able to satisfy and pass the test.

Meanwhile, Oliver Kershaw who founded E-Cigarette Forum and now its CEO is less optimistic than Paul. He said that most products today would not qualify. Companies would need to submit them as new products with huge incurred costs.

The process is not just costly, but also lengthy. Unnecessary barriers will be created and many products that vapers are satisfyingly using now will be removed from the market. Kershaw is especially concerned about smaller companies offering refillable equipment without cartridges and appear different from conventional cigarette. These companies would not have the resources needed for dealing with the demands of FDA.

The federal agency has immense backlogs to deal with. Since 2009, the FDA has received over 3,000 substantial applications, but Kershaw said that only 20-30 have been approved as of now.

Founder and also president of Blu Cigs is Jason Healy who agrees that most of the products these days will not qualify as substantially equivalent. Yet, he sees flexibility from the Federal agency. He quoted some statements and regarded them as indications that the agency wants to look for a way to allow ecigarettes to remain in the market.

In order to win FDA approval that an ecig is a new tobacco product, an ecigarette company must persuade the agency that permitting such products in the market would be appropriate in protecting public health. This is certainly easier said than done.

Long term vaping and long term behaviors of ecig users were analyzed in a recent study that was published on Addictive Behaviors. The survey involved smoking and vaping habits of the users. This study aimed to gather insight on how the vapers changed over a period of 12 months.

The study was performed by Professor Jean-Françios Etter from University of Geneva Public Health and Dr. Chris Cullen from University of Auckland Clinical Trials Research Unit.

This is among those very few studies about vapers that involved 12 months follow-up. The researchers found that only a small number of former smokers relapsed to smoking when they used electronic cigarettes. They also found that many smokers and dual users have either quit or reduced smoking after a year.

Preliminary, But Encouraging

Unlike other studies conducted for the purpose of opposing ecigarettes, Professor Etter acknowledged that this study they have conducted is preliminary and considered explanatory. He said that the representative samples in studies on vapers are warranted. Despite this, this study is likewise considered groundbreaking and the first of its kind so its results are encouraging and valuable.

Participated By Honest People

Many of the participants were signed up on ecigarette forums where participating individuals are known to campaign for ecigs. Etter said that he believes that most of these people are honest individuals and are not inclined to only exaggerate ecig benefits.

Long Term Vaping Is Not Public Health Problem

Anti-ecig groups accuse electronic cigarettes as tools that merely prolong addiction. In the study, results show and seem to suggest this accusation since the consumption of vapers did not really decrease after some time.

Etter stated that their study and other studies suggest ecigarettes as not very addictive as tobacco cigarettes. He said that there are two components in conventional addiction, compulsiveness and harm. An addicted person compulsively uses something despite the harms.

Eigs, he noted, have no harm so ecig use is more appropriately described as compulsive use rather than an addiction. Thousands of former smokers compulsively use nicotine gums for several months to numerous years even after they left smoking behind. Thus, long term vaping is not a problem or risk on public health.

He also added that even if there are long term vapers or people who still use ecigs over an extended period of time, there remains no problem as long as they quit the smoking of cigarettes. Nicotine is not toxic at the dosage consumed by the vapers or by the users of NRTs like nicotine patches and gums.

He reiterated what other experts claimed that it is not nicotine that causes the harm, but the combustion of tobacco. Vaping for a long time is not a problem, just as it is okay to use nicotine gums over a long period of time.

Consequential Dual Use

Based on the study’s sample, it can be viewed that dual users are likely to quit smoking after a year. Etter stated that dual use have consequences. One is reduced smoking and the other is eventual smoke cessation. Therefore, dual use should be viewed as positive rather than negative.

Since the effect of ecigarettes in preventing ex-smokers from relapsing, Etter acknowledged the effectiveness of ecigarettes in smoke cessation and not just mere quirk in the selection process of the study.

The researchers concluded that more research and studies are necessary. The changes in the behavior of smokers and vapers change over time, but are not documented. Many say that those who use cigarette look-alikes later transition to tank system ecigs. It is also hypothesized that vapers eventually reduce their nicotine consumption after some time; plus a lot more theories. Hypotheses need confirmation and questions need answers.

EGO-V variable voltage has a voltage range from 3-6 volts that you can set at an increment of 0.1 volts.  It is a high quality product that offers safety in vaping.

Device Details

EGO-V Variable Voltage has a 650mAh lithium polymer battery equipped with a protection function; thus offering guaranteed safety. Its button is made from soft silicone. Its high performance battery can offer service life per charge of up to 500 puffs.

Battery size is L114 x 14 mm. The device weighs 62 grams while the whole package weighs 122 grams.  It is a pass-through device, which means it can be safely used even while it is charging via a USB port, wall outlet or even a car charger.

EGO-V might be the smallest variable voltage device, but it is the highest quality in the market. The soft button can be activated with ease.  Just click the activation button 5 times in a row to turn the battery on or off.

Voltage buttons equipped with lock function are also present so you will not accidentally discharge or change the voltage of your battery.  The buttons need only to be pressed 3 times to lock or to unlock.

If you buy the kit, its standard contents are the EGO-V device, USB charging cable, user manual and a gift box.  You need to purchase your preferred e-liquid in order to start vaping after receiving your package.

LCD Display

One of the great features of EGO-V is the LCD display of the battery where you can conveniently see how much power or charge remains in the battery.

Using It With EGO Attachments

Suppose you already have some EGO stuff, what you just need to obtain are EGO-V battery and charging cable. All other EGO attachments can work with the EGO-V battery.  Being a variable voltage device lets you increase or decrease the voltage of your ecig. Remember that the higher the voltage, the more vapors you will get.

Keep in mind that your device must only be charged using the accompanying USB cable and not with other chargers, even if t is an EGO USB charger for other models.